At first it came
as a delightful surprise to see
this Simon Boccanegra (libretto:
Francesco Maria Piave) from the
Teatro Comunale di Bologna available
on DVD. In November, 2007, thirteen
opera lovers from Michael Tisma’s
Ovations International opera tour
travelled to Teatro Municipale Valli
in Emiglia Romana to see Bologna’s
production of Boccanegra.
Without exception, everyone considered
it an emotionally gripping performance
of Verdi’s pessimistic tale of spiritual
disturbance and foreboding. What
is evident while watching the DVD
is the difference between the confident
execution and polish of the Teatro
Valli performance and the unfinished,
yet promising rendition caught at
the opera’s prima in Bologna. There
is much to be said for taping a
production later in the run, after
it has had a few performances under
its belt. Valli’s was the seventh
outing for Bologna’s dedicated team
where it revealed all its artistic
merit.

The mandate, however,
is to review the performance as
it is seen and heard on Arthaus
Music at its initial showing on
13 November 2007.

A behind-the-scenes
look at the production reveals a
confident, independent spirit in
the Teatro Comunale’s approach to
mounting new productions. Devoid
of any outside influences, the company
has produced a team of cohesive
artists with a inspired point of
view.

Giorgio Gallione,
in his first outing in opera, has
been directing Italian theater since
the early 1980s. He worked well
with Guido Fiorato whose set design
consisted mainly of a series of
marble-like walls that moved across
the stage that simulated the 14th
Century look of Verdi’s opera. Gallione
gave his singers a natural acting
style which easily fits the composer’s
musical rhythms, letting their characterizations
tell the story. Fiorito also designed
the costumes. These featured long,
elegant tunics in rich greens and
reds with adornments that recalled
both the wealth and the gloom of
Boccanegra’s court life. Daniele
Naldi’s lighting complemented Michele
Mariotti’s intimate conducting style
– a style that emphasized the torturous
struggle between love of family
and duty to one’s country that permeates
so much of Verdi’s output. What
is remarkable about this young conductor
is how well he integrated his musical
expertise with Verdi’s musical narrative.

Boccanegra has
always suffered complaints about
its libretto from critics and opera-goers
alike. It debuted in Venice in 1857
and was revised by Verdi for Milan
in 1881 with help from the composer
Arrigo Boito who became Verdi’s
librettist. Verdi and Boito worked
diligently to give the opera a new
life which translated into new music
and a substantially revised libretto.
Despite these ministrations many
opera critics find the story’s content
a far from easy one to follow.

In the prologue
we meet Simone, a young corsair
in love with Maria Fiesco. Her father,
Jacopo, has kept her hidden for
she has had an illegitimate child
by Simone. Paolo, the Plebeian leader
wants Simone to become Doge. Simone
accepts, thinking his new position
would make it easier for him to
marry Maria. Jacopo’s hatred for
the future leader increases when
he learns that Simone’s daughter
has vanished and he is deprived
of the joy of having a granddaughter.
After Jacopo departs, Simone enters
the palace only to discover that
Maria is dead. With a heavy heart,
he accepts the cheers of the people
as their Doge.

Act One takes place
twenty-five years later when we
are introduced to Simone’s daughter,
who is now known as Amelia. Simone
meets her and discovers the truth
of their relationship in one of
Verdi’s most beautiful father-daughter
duets. Also, Jacopo has returned
to Genoa in disguise under the name
‘Andrea’ and spends the rest of
the opera detesting Simone. This
continues until the end of Act Three
when, as Simone is dying from poison,
they reconcile their differences
in one of Verdi’s best friendship
duets. At the opera’s end, Simone
makes Gabriele, Amelia’s intended,
the new Doge.

The strong point
of the opera is not its plot, but
the magnificent music the mature
composer invented for his revised
version. Nowhere is that more evident
than in the Council Chamber Scene
that ends Act One.

It was Boito who
convinced Verdi that this scene
was necessary to show Simone as
a leader for the patricians and
the common people and to interject
some of Verdi’s own thoughts about
bringing peace to a troubled land.
The composer created a complex ensemble,
vivid characters and high drama
in this scene. Roberto Frontali’s
baritone climbs the scale, giving
Simone’s lines, "Vo gridando
pace, vo gridano amor" a rich,
soaring thrust in a voice deep with
emotion. In the scene before this
one, at the end of his duet with
Carmen Giannattasio as Amelia, he
expresses his love for her with
one word, "Figlia". Many
baritones try to project this moment
with a mezza voce, but few
can duplicate Tito Gobbi’s vocal
heartbreak. Frontali goes his own
way by expressing the word with
a beautiful full sound that gives
Verdi’s note - an F above middle
C - its full value. Also, Frontali
easily makes the transition from
the brash sailor in the prologue
to the seasoned and reflective Doge
required in the rest of the opera.
The baritone’s Simone is a very
good reason to purchase this DVD.

There are other
valuable contributions to this production.
Carmen Giannattasio makes a lovely
Amelia and a good partner in father/daughter
duet in Act One, Scene 1. No other
opera composer paints the longing
for familial love in music as poignantly
as Verdi. At the duet’s end there
are four measures that seem to carry
the ecstasy of Simone and Amelia’s
discovery into eternity. Giannattasio’s
soprano starts out with cloudy overtones;
by the time the duet comes, she’s
warmed up.

Giacomo Prestia’s
bass fills the dramatic parts of
his Fiesco, especially in his two
duets - one in the prologue and
the other at the finale - with Frontali’s
Boccanegra. The lower part of the
voice, however, gets throaty, revealing
his lack of sonority so necessary
to the role.

Tenor Giuseppe
Gipali is quite capable in handling
the vocal requirements of Gabriele
Adorno, even if his voice in person
comes across smaller in volume than
on the DVD.

The last major
role is Paolo Albiani, who at first
is Simone’s friend and later his
betrayer. Marco Vratogna makes a
strong physical and vocal presence,
his lighter bass tone has no problem
in projecting Paolo’s menacing moments.

Video director,
Francesca Nesler easily follows
Gallione’s stage demands, but the
deep blue lighting that permeates
the production does cover some of
the distinctive greens and reds
Fiorato used to represent the Plebeians
and the Patricians in the Council
Chamber Scene. This did not happen
in the house.

Does the fact that
an Italian opera company the size
of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna
is willing to make a DVD of one
of their new productions indicate
a resurgence of operatic interest
in Italy? Only time will tell, but
we can hope that this production
bodes well for the future.

Review
IndexesBy
Label Select a label and
all reviews are listed in Catalogue orderBy
MasterworkLinks
from composer names (eg Sibelius) are to resource pages with links to
the review
indexes for the individual works as well as other resources.

Reviews
from previous monthsJoin the mailing list and receive a hyperlinked weekly update on the
discs reviewed. detailsWe welcome feedback on our reviews. Please use the Bulletin
Board
Please paste in the first line of your comments the URL of the review to
which you refer.